Monday 13th May, 2019

Accra, May 13, GNA - The Management of
National Folklore Board has called on the public to seek permission from the
Board, when using the country’s folklore outside the customary context and for
commercial purposes.

A statement issued in Accra by Nana Adjoa
Adobea Asante, the Acting Director, said this include any other form of
literary, artistic and scientific expressions belonging to the cultural
heritage of the country, which were created, perverse and developed by ethnic
communities or by an unidentified Ghanaian author.

It said the usage of the country’s folklore
by foreign interests had seen a sharp rise over the past years but
unfortunately persons, both individuals and corporate, who have employed the
folklore for their benefits have done so without permission from the Board.

“It is important to note that personal use
of folklore and or use within the customary context do not enquire permission
from the Board,” it added.

The statement said per section 44 of the
Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690), a person who sells, offers or exposes for sale
or distributes a work of folklore without permission from the Board commits an
offence and is liable upon summary conviction to a maximum fine of 1000 penalty
units equivalent to GH¢12,000.00 and or imprisonment for maximum of three
years.

“Section 64 of Act 690 requires a person,
who intended to use folklore other than as permitted by section 19 of the Act,
to apply to the Board for permission at a fee determined by the Board,” it
said.

It said in order to avoid being on the wrong
side of the law, the Board, mandated by law to protect and promote the
country’s folklore for or on behalf of the President entreats all commercial
users of the country’s expressions of folklore to send a written request to the
Board in order to be given the requisite permission.

It said in as much as the law required the
payment of fees for the country’s folklore outside the customary context, the
Board emphatically states that the enforcement of the law on folklore was an
opportunity for Ghanaians to protect their folklore from inappropriate usages
and against the denigration of symbols and culture.

The statement urged corporate institutions
and other stakeholders to invest in the protection and promotion of the
country’s folklore through the engagement of the services of Ghanaian creative
artists and also through various usages including Company Logo, cultural
representation in advertisements and general corporate branding to create jobs
and boost the economy.

It commended the 22 Companies, who have been
complying with the requirement of seeking permission for the use of folklore outside
the customary context.

It assured the public of the Board’s
commitment to ensure that the country’s folklore was well protected and
promoted for the benefit of the good people Ghana.